Santorum is always quick to reach for the mantle of Reagan, and to paint himself as a modern day successor.

Reagan was of many strong opinions but he did not try to impose his social beliefs on Americans. Reagan openly embraced his libertarian streak.

‎”I fight very strongly against libertarian influence within the Republican Party and the conservative movement. I don’t think the libertarians have it right when it comes to what the Constitution’s all about. I don’t think they have it right as to what our history is.”
—Rick Santorum

“If you analyze it I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism . . . The basis of conservatism is a desire for less government interference or less centralized authority or more individual freedom and this is a pretty general description also of what libertarianism is.”
—Ronald Reagan

It is also good to know that one constitutionalist readily recognizes another. Not only do we have issues identifying real conservatives and real Republicans but the different constitutional fanclubs don’t seem to recognize the realness of the fandom on one another.